Accidents at work

Antonia Torr, Legal Editor

At a time when the economy is still trying to recover and the threat of job cuts is looming, research has shown that workplace accidents have cost the economy nearly 5 million work days in 2009.

Due to the nature of health and safety in some work places, members of the general public find themselves injured and forced to take time off work. This could result in a partial, if not a complete loss of income, especially during the period taken to recover. This has cost the economy 4.7 million work days.

Some injuries can be so severe that individuals are unable to return to their previous occupation. This results in a displacement of a section of the work force and contributes to the unemployment rate. No doubt, those who suffer serious injuries find that securing employment becomes so much more difficult.

This is where the value of personal injury compensation really comes into play. Compensation will take into account the nature of the injury and its impact on your life. This impact would be measured in the loss current earnings as well as the loss in potential earnings, if applicable.

Of all potential injuries possible at the workplace, the most common is slipping and tripping on level surfaces. This could a wet floor or a disguised crack in the pavement. This type of injury accounts for nearly 36% of accidents at work.

After this, falls from a height are the most common. This could be falling from balconies, or off ladders, and as a result tend to have more devastating effects on a person.

Finally there are those injuries that are sustained from moving objects, such as forklift equipment etc.

It has been estimated that approximately 15,000 work accidents happen each year. This figure is based on those accidents being reported in the RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) packs. However some sceptics believe that this figure could be much higher as a large majority of accident at work cases go unreported.

If you have suffered an accident at work, feel free to fill in our enquiry form, and one of our legal case handlers will contact you about your accident.

Uninsured Britain

Over-zealous insurers minimise compensation claims

If you are interested in reading more the general law that relates to this article, then feel free to visit our law guides. If you realise you require a solicitor, then you are in the right place too!